Holster for side arms



C. P. GAYLORD, JR

HOLSTER FOR SIDE ARMS Oct. 9, 1956 2 shee ts sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1953 FIG.4

INVENTOR. CHARLES P. GAYLORD Jr. By Ah.

ATTORNEY 0d. 1956 c- P. GAYLORD, JR ,76

HOLSTER FOR SIDE ARMS Filed June 2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .INVENTOR. CHAR LES P. GAY LORD Jr.

; 4 ga /av ATTORNEY.

United States Patent HOLSTER FOR SIDE ARMS Charles P. Gaylord, Jr., New York, N. Y.

Application June 2, 1953, Serial No. 359,003

1 Claim. (Cl. 224-2) This invention relates to gun holsters and relates more particularly to a quick-draw holster which will eliminate the possibility of a revolver accidentally falling from the holster or being surreptitiously snatched from the holster by a stranger and which will always support the gun in a position most readily grasped by the user.

An important object of the invention is to provide a two-part holster comprising a fixed frame section and a gun carrying section pivotally carried at the lower end of the frame section. Releasable latching means normally retain the gun and the gun-carrying section in a vertical position and thus hold the gun vertically. When the gun is to be withdrawn the latch is released and the gun carrying section pivots to a rearwardly inclined position and both actions occur as a part of a single operation and the gun, now free, literally falls into the hand of the user.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a holster having an improved guard for the trigger which will eliminate the possibility of accidental discharge of the gun.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a holster of relatively small size compared with the size of the gun and which affords maximum concealment of the gun. Still another object is to provide an improved holster which will enable the gun to be quickly withdrawn from the holster which is concealed under the clothing of the wearer and while the wearer has a glove on his hand.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a holster embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the holster and showing the gun supported therein;

Fig. 4 shows the position of the parts when the gun is about to be withdrawn from the gun pocket;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing a modified form of the present invention;

Fig. 6 shows the relation of the parts as the gun is about to be withdrawn from the holster;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation showing a second modified form of the invention;

Fig. 8 shows the position of the parts when the gun is about to be Withdrawn;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of a third modified form of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of a fourth modified form of the invention.

The holster which forms the first embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 includes an inner section 10 forming a gun pocket and an outer section 11 forming a support or frame for the gun pocket. Both sections may be formed from a single blank of leather or other flexible sheet material which is folded back upon itself to provide inner and outer walls.

Outer section 11 includes said inner and outer walls 12 and 13, respectively, joined by curved forward wall 14. The outer wall is defined by an upwardly curved lower edge 15 and a slightly curved rear edge 16 which merges into an upper edge 17. The inner wall is similarly shaped except that it has a lateral rearward extension 21 forming a securing strap having one section 22 of an attaching member or snap fastener, the complemental section 23 thereof being carried at the upper central portion of the outer wall. The inner wall further has a downwardly extending portion 24 which is stitched at 25 to such wall to form a belt loop.

The inner section or gun pocket 10 also includes inner and outer walls 26 and 27, respectively, joined by curved forward wall 31 which nests into curved wall 14. The gun pocket is pivoted at 32 to the frame member. A line of stitching 33 extends from the lower end of the curved forward wall 31 downwardly and then upwardly. The holster is arranged to be carried on a belt 34 and the revolver is shown in broken lines at 35 in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be noted that the relationship between curved front wall 31 and stitch line 33 is such that the gun substantially fills the entire gun pocket.

When the gun pocket is in its upright position the barrel of the revolver is disposed vertically and the trigger guard is largely protected by the adjacent inner and outer wall sections of the supporting member 11. It will be noted that a short section of the strap extends forwardly of the snap fastener 22. When it is desired to withdraw the gun from the holster the user strikes this forward extension of the strap with a backward and downward sweeping movement, thus disengaging the fastener elements, and then continues a downward sweeping movement with his hand on the gun butt which causes the inner or gun carrying section 10 to swing through an are from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 4, and when the gun reaches the position of Fig. 4 the butt has already been grasped by the user and the gun quickly withdrawn.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the gun pocket 38 may be formed substantially identically with the gun pocket 10 in the first embodiment. In this instance, however, the supporting member or frame 39, which is pivotally connected with the gun pocket at 40, has rearwardly extending tabs 41 which are secured together by means of snap fasteners 42. Here again the gun is normally held in vertical position by means of the snap fasteners. When the user desires to withdraw the gun from the holster he grasps the butt and pulls it rearwardly and downwardly, thus causing the snap fastener elements to disengage and the tabs to separate, and again the gun butt is in his hand by the time the gun pocket has rotated through an arc of about 45 degrees.

In the second modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the gun pocket 45 is substantially the same as gun pocket 10 except that it is longer and extends further downwardly below pivot 46 and is thus adapted for a longer gun.

The supporting member or frame 47 extends further rearwardly as defined by curved edge 48, thus entirely enclosing the trigger guard. In this instance the strap 49 is formed integrally with and extends upwardly from inner wall 50. This strap is disposed adjacent forward curved wall 51. A second strap 52 is secured to the outer wall of the supporting member by rivets 53 and the two straps are secured together by snap fasteners 54. It will be noted that the strap is partially received in the V-shaped recess between the hammer and the butt.

A portion 55 of the front strap 52 extends above the fastener and when it is desired to remove the gun from the holster the user flicks his thumb downwardly against the inner face of extension 55 of strap 52 while grasping a.) the gun butt. This disengages the snap fasteners and causes the gun and the gun pocket to move through an arc of about 45 degrees at which time it is withdrawn from the holster.

In the third modified form shown in Fig. 9 the gun pocket section 53 is similar to the others but the frame section 59, pivotally supporting the gun pocket at 60, has forwardly curved rear edges 61 which merge into upwardly and rearwardly curved edges forming tabs 61. having snap fasteners 63. The snap fasteners are disengaged by the act of pulling the butt rearwardly.

In the final form of the invention the outer wall 64 of the outer or frame member has arearwardly extending strap 65 provided with one portion 66 of a snap fastener and the other portion is carried by rear wall 67 which also has a belt loop 68. The gun pocket 69 is similar to that of Fig. 1. In this instance the strap is released by the thumb of the user.

Any of the holsters embodying the present invention may be supported either on a belt or on ashoulder harness to place the holster in an under-arm position or slightly forwardly of an under-arm position.

While five forms or embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein for illustrative purposes, and the construction and arrangement incidental to five specific applications thereof have been disclosed and discussed in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative arrangement of parts, nor to its specific embodiments shown herein, but that extensive deviations from the illustrated forms or embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof.

What I claim is:

A firearm holster comprising an elongated base section having a lower end, an upper end, a front edge and a rear edge, a firearm receiver section having an upper end.

and a lower end and including a front edge having an open upper portion through which a revolver or pistol is adapted to be inserted into or removed from said receiver section, said receiver section having a closed rear edge, pivot means swingably connecting said receiver section intermediate of its ends and adjacent its front edge to the lower portion of said base section and adjacent the front edge thereof, said base section adjacent the back edge and upper end thereof including a portion for engaging the upper rear portion of the receiver section for supporting the receiver section with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of said base section in a firearm carrying position, said receiver section being swingable for moving the upper portion thereof away from said last mentioned portion of the base section and into an inclined position at an angle to the base section and constituting an open position of the holster, a strap forming a part of and extending from said base section across the upper part of the receiver section and having a free end, and snap fastening means detachably connecting said free end of the strap to the base section near the front edge thereof and in the path of swinging movement of the upper part of the receiver section toward an open position of the holster and between the butt and trigger guard of the revolver or pistol to retain the receiver section in its first mentioned firearm carrying position and to permit disengagement of said snap fastening means by a pull exerted on the butt in a direction away from said back edge of the base section.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,747,454 Mees Feb. 18, 1930 2,396,118 Ohlemeyer Mar. 5, 1946 2,410,640 Engle Nov. 5, 1946 2,546,774 Ohlemeyer Mar. 27, 1951 

